anyone here take their dog running?

I've got two dogs who love to run. My lab/bird dog mix is 6 years old and usually runs 5 to 8 miles a day with occasional off days. My German shepherd just turned a year and is running 3 to 7 miles but not as many days a week. The one thing I like best about my shepherd is that since it is a female, she never stops to pee like my male lab mix. He can drive me crazy on some runs, especially if another dog has been on the trails before us. I always take them on trails and always on leash. They know to stop and move off trails when a mountain bike approaches or even a faster runner. Great running partners.

Mint Berry Crunch, A dog can be a great running partner, but a husky may not be the breed you want. The biggest problem is that with their heavy coat they are not going to be good runners in hot or even warm temperatures. Plus huskies are what is commonly referred to as "a lot of dog", they should be fine around the house as long as they've had their run, but can be chewers when not exercised (chewers as in chewing through your back door to get outside). Unless you live in a cold climate I'd look at shorter haired dog - German short hairs are great, a lot of the pointers are good runners who can go forever and as others have said, weimaraners and vizslas are both great running dogs. You may also be able to find a good mutt at the shelter, a lot of cattle dog and hunting dog mixes end up at our local shelter.

I have a German Shorthair pointer, didn't really start running her further than 3-4miles until she was 1.75years old. Now she runs whatever run I run, up to 20 miles at about 6:00pace. Although heat is typically a problem, she gets sluggish at anything over about 70 degrees F, so I don't take her much more than 5 when the temp is up. When its cold out she could go for days, and show no sign of being tired. By far the best running dog around, I really did my research on this one.

When buying a dog mainly to keep my wife company when I was out of town. It was between a German Shorthair Pointer and a Rhodisian Ridgeback. Both very loyal, and energetic breeds.

Nick

Rhodesian Ridgeback. Take him everywhere (street, trails, desert). He will run anywhere and has gone as far as 22 miles with me. They can go over 30 miles at a time when being used to hunt.

thanks guys! i'm still not set on the dog, just throwing an idea out there, running won't be the determining factor on what kind of dog to get. That will probably be based off where i move to, i just think huskys are cool.

Sounds like some of you guys run your dogs more than i run period!

wccelder wrote: So hard to leave him behind when he starts getting excited and stretching in front of the door!

You let him do static stretching before he runs??!!!!

I have a 45# black lab that is 3 or 4 years old and she is built like a dart. Most labs look kinda fat in the midsection and around the neck. She is streamlined, like a runner. I always wondered if I could out run her over distance (say, one hour or so). One day to test myself and the dog, I went running with the dog while my wife came along on her bicycle. I'm not really fast, but I do run consistently - I ran at a sustainable hard pace (6:15 mpm) for about 7 miles in hilly terrain with the dog next to me on the leash. I thought after 7 miles she was tired so I decided to drop the next mile as hard as I could, around 5:45 mpm, and see if the dog fell back. Since my wife was on her bicycle, she sped up to ride even faster than me when I let go of the dog's leash. The dog ran steadily next to my wife's bicycle, slowly gapping me for the entire final mile.

A dog, even slightly trained, is a fast creature.

Very nice...

I don't take my dog running but I do do my wife doggie style on occasion. We have done it doggie style on a trail before but never on the sidewalk. My wife is not husky.

I run with my dogs on a fairly regular basis (once a week or so). I have two dogs, both pit bull mixes, and they have no problem keeping up for a normal 30-50 minute easy run. I haven't tried taking them on long runs, but I suspect that with a little bit more consistent work they'd be fine.

I think people forget that dogs, just like people, need exercise to be healthy. I can't count the number of fat couch potato humans I see with fat couch potato dogs.

I have a mutt, she is Terrier and something else I am not sure, weights exactly 30pounds and maxed out at 45km/hour (on my bike), any faster she would fall behind. I run with her every day, mostly doubles 5 to 10 miles and when I am done it's like we didn't even run. And some of my runs are under 6min per mile, doesn't matter.

The only thing that bothers her is intense heat, I got her this summer (2 yrs old now) she was abandoned, and she would still follow me but was not liking it as much just doing the minimum and following me. NO MATTER WHAT she will follow me, the dog is amazingly loyal.

Oh yeah, longest run I did was 2 hours in the morning with her, then biked an hour at a fairly good speed, she kept up like it was nothing. Most dogs are made to run and love it. Every time I put any one of my running gear one she knows we are heading out and gets excited, does a bunch of stretches from being impatient because it takes me a loooong minute to put my shoes on, like a few of the previous posters mentioned.

Yeah, like alot of posters here I run a lot with my dog. He's a german wirehair mix (some collie, we think). He's got a chest like a bellows - we call him mottram sometimes.

But do be careful when you first take them out - dont run them dead. Some dogs will literally run until they die if their master is still going.

I think a bigger, hunting breed type of dog (espeically a cross bred), will be a great runner. And I wouldnt worry too much about the coat - we shave our dogs every summer!

I used to run 3-5 miles a day with my lab until his back went out. I hope the running didn't contribute to his back problems, because he's in pretty bad shape now. He loved to run with me though.

I got a stray off the streets of Okinawa in Oct 1998 and still jog with him an easy 3 miles during the winter. He is a mix and weighs about 20 lbs. Last year we did a 5K in the 21s. He's close to 13 now and I am wondering how long he can hang.

dog runner wrote:

I run 5-8 miles / day with my golden retriever (15 months) almost every day. In cooler weather she can easily handle 7:30 pace, in warmer weather she seems to do best proportionately slower (though, it helps to wet her down prior to running). We usually run on the streets or on a dirt path. And actually, if the dog is trained, it isn't annoying at all. She usually stops 3 times in the first 2 minutes for bathroom breaks, but other than that she doesn't stop at all. I keep her close to me, so she doesn't interfere with other runners. The biggest distractions for her seem to be squirrels and rabbits. I've actually really come to enjoy it - a dog gives you company, as though you're running with a training partner, but you can just enjoy silence.

I have a male golden, and like you said they are great to run with, if trained. He is very attached to me, so he stays very close by and just looks at me every few seconds. Its really cute. He doesn't chase squirrels or rabbits, because to him they are like cats, and he grew up with cats. So overall, he is better to run with than any human. He doesn't push the pace or slow the pace( except in the summer)and he's obedient and beautiful. The only issues are the ticks he collects when we go in the woods. It takes a very long time to find and remove all of them. It also makes me nervous that he might get lyme disease.

I have a three year old lab/border collie mix that I've run with for up to 12 miles. They key to it is training. Training the dog to run distance, much like you had to train yourself, and training to dog to be obedient and run at your side. I never run with her off the leash, and anyone who does is an irresponsible dog owner, but thats a different conversation.

Running a dog is alot different than walking because at least in my experience, as soon as you start running they get into play mode. All the training for walking well goes right out the window, and they just want to run and play. Until the dog learns that they have to run just like they walk your runs will be unpleasant.

"I never run with her off the leash, and anyone who does is an irresponsible dog owner, but thats a different conversation."

What a stupid generalized comment.

Responding to an idiot wrote:

"I never run with her off the leash, and anyone who does is an irresponsible dog owner, but thats a different conversation."

What a stupid generalized comment.

Sorry, I went on vacation.

And no, its not.

Golden retriever lover wrote:The only issues are the ticks he collects when we go in the woods. It takes a very long time to find and remove all of them. It also makes me nervous that he might get lyme disease.

Hello, they make preventative medication for this!